Nuclear agreement with Iran: Jeremy Hunt aims to reduce tension

Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt issues a new proposal to halt the dissolution of the Iranian nuclear agreement and alleviate tensions in the Gulf.

Mr Hunt will meet with EU foreign ministers The agreement, in which Iran curtailed nuclear activity in return for easing economic sanctions, had problems after the US withdrew in 201

8 after the United Kingdom confiscated an Iranian oil tanker.

On Saturday, Hunt said the tanker, arrested earlier this month by Royal Marines, could be released if the United Kingdom is guaranteed that the oil carried is not destined for Syria.

] At a meeting of other foreign ministers on Monday, Mr Hunt will work with the European partners in the agreement – France and Germany – to encourage Iran to honor its commitments.

In a joint statement that was made before the meeting, Britain, Fri USA and Germany reaffirmed their support for the agreement.

However, they are "deeply concerned" about the recent events on the Gulf and "worried" about relations between the US and Iran.

Iran nuclear crisis in 300 words

Watch: Iranians over Trump and the nuclear deal

"We believe that the time has come to act responsibly and to seek a way to stop the escalation of tensions and It is necessary that all participants stop and weigh the possible consequences of their actions. "

Earlier this month, Iran announced a violation of the agreement by overriding a limit on uranium enrichment.

How will the US react? [19659018] Analysis of the BBC diplomatic correspondent, James Robbins

Great Britain, France and Germany are pressing to prevent the crisis in relations with Iran from deteriorating into something much worse: the armed conflict.

their common The declaration refers to the need to try to maintain the 2015 nuclear deal that President Trump abandoned in favor of increased sanctions on Iran.

It is an agreement that Iran now claims is in violation of the promised economic benefits] Theresa May, However, Emanuel Macron and Angela Merkel are worried about the risk that the nuclear deal will come under pressure from US sanctions and the like nd Iran's decision not to implement key parts of the agreement.

They urge all countries to "stop and consider the possible consequences of their actions".

This could upset the White House, as it seems to equate aspects of the US hardliner policies with those of Iran.

What is the Iranian nuclear agreement?

In 2015, Iran signed a long-term agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan after concerns expressed by the international community regarding the development of nuclear weapons.

Iran, insisting that its nuclear program was completely peaceful, agreed to curtail some nuclear activity and allow international inspectors, China and Russia – agreed to lift some of the crippling economic sanctions on Iran.

Before the meeting on Monday, Hunt said, "The Middle East is already one of the world 's most volatile regions. Www.mjfriendship.de/de/index.php?op…ew&id=6 # 1991 Several parties were armed with nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity. "

Why is the deal in trouble? In 2018, Donald Trump said he would unilaterally withdraw the US from the agreement signed under the treaty of Barack Obama.

The other parties criticized Mr. Trump's decision and said they remain committed to the deal.

On Sunday, the Mail published a leaked memo stating that Mr. Trump had abandoned the nuclear deal despite Mr. Obama.

Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had exceeded the upper limit for the storage of low-enriched uranium.

Why are the limits on uranium enrichment in Iran significant?

Iran said it was responding to sanctions that were reinstated by the US after Mr. Trump gave up the deal. Last week it confirmed that it will exceed another of the limits imposed by the agreement.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Iran still wants to save the deal, but blamed European countries for failing to honor their own commitments.

What about the tensions between tankers?

Tensions between the UK and Iran increased earlier this month as Royal Marines seized an Iranian tanker suspected of violating EU sanctions.

The UK suspected Grace 1, who was arrested on 4 July near Gibraltar. transported oil to Syria.

Iran denied that he was traveling to Syria, claiming that the ship's seizure was "piracy".

Image copyright Reuters

Caption
The oil tanker was suspected of having transported crude oil to Syria

In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday, Hunt wanted to reassure his counterpart that the detention had "nothing to do with the fact that the oil is Iranian."

Mr. Zarif also wanted to solve the problem and did not want to "escalate" the situation, Hunt said.

In response to the seizure, Iran threatened to seize a British oil tanker.

On July 9, the United Kingdom dismissed British shipping in Iran at the risk of Gulf waters to be "critical" – at the highest level.

A day later, Iranian boats attempted to obstruct a British oil tanker in the area before being warned by a Royal Navy ship, according to the Department of Defense.